Take-down firearm



Jan. 24, 1939.

H. F. MOSSBERG TAKE-DOWN FIREARM Filed Nov. 50, 1937 IN VENTQR Ha raidEMUSsb-erg.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 24, 1939 TAKE-DOWN FIREARM Harold F. Mossberg,New Haven, Conn, assignor to 0'. F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc, New Haven,Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application November 30, 1937, SerialNo. 177,234

5 Claims.

This invention relates to firearms of the takedown type and moreparticularly to an improved take-downv screw for use in securing theforearm to the barrel of such types of firearms.

The principal disadvantage experienced with the form of take-down screwsat present in use is, that being disposed in, and extending downwardlyfrom, the forearm forward of the trigger guard, they interfere with theproper holding of the firearm, or gun, while it is being sighted, bypresenting a protuberance on an otherwise smooth surface. Such acondition is both uncomfortable and inconvenient. This inventioncontemplates as one of its objects the provision of an improved form oftake-down screw which will lie substantially flush with the lower smoothsurface of the forearm so as not to interfere with the holding of thefirearm nor be uncomfortable nor inconvenient in use.

Another object is to provide a take-down screw for a firearm, or gun, ofthe take-down type, by which the barrel may be more firmly and securelyattached to the forearm than it can be by the use of any of the presentforms of takedown screws.

Still another object is to provide a take-down screw adapted to bedisposed in the forearm of a firearm substantially flush with thesurface thereof and means, normally positioned within the screw head andadapted to be extended from the same to be readily grasped to rotate thescrew when inserting it into, or removing it from, its operativeposition, to secure the forearm tothe barrel.

A further object is to provide an improved take-down screw for the abovepurposes which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple inconstruction, compact, of pleasing appcarance, and very eificient anddurable in use.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, there has been illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied inpractice.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like partsthroughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side view of a take-down firearm, or gun, having a.take-down screw embodying the features and principles of this inventionassociated therewith;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-section through the firearm, or gun, takenon line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the take-down screw of this inventiontaken on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective disassembled view of the parts constitutingthe take-down screw of this invention.

In most take-down firearms, or guns, the barrel ii is detachably securedto the forearm portion E2, of a gun stock is, by means of a screw, athreaded end M of which is adapted to screw into an internally threadedmember, or post, l5 formed on, or suitably secured to, the barrel II.The threaded end M of the take-down screw is formed on the end of a studI6 extending from the inner end i8 of the screw head I! and forms ashoulder l9 thereat. The shoulder I9 is adapted to seat against thebottom 2| of an escutcheon sleeve 22, set into the material of theforearm portion 52 in a counterbore provided therein and in alignmentwith the post 15 on the barrel l l, the screw end M and stud 16 passingthrough a hole 26 in the bottom 2!, which hole 28 may be threaded, asshown. The outer surface of the outer end 23 of the screw head il, whenthe shoulder i9 is seated upon the bottom 2! of the sleeve 22, issubstantially flush with the outer surface 24 of the forearm. portionl2. The outer end 23 of the screw head I! is shown as being of a largerdiameter than the inner end i8 thereof, and has a diametricallyextending slot 25 formed therein. The slot 25 extends into the inner endiii to adjacent the shoulder l9 and is adapted to slidingly receive ascrew actuating blade 26 which extends entirely across the screw head iito be guided in its sliding movements axially with respect to the screwby the interior sides of the sleeve 22.

The blade 26 is frictionally retained in any position within the slot 25by a plunger 21, which is disposed in a laterally directed hole 28extending diametrically across the outer end 23 of the screw head l8 atright angles to the slot 25. The plunger 21 is constantly urged intoengagement with one side of the blade 26 by a coiled spring 29, whichreacts between the end of the hole 28 and the inner end of the plunger21. The plunger 21 is provided with a lug 3!, which is received in aslot 32 extending lengthwise of the blade 26. The slot 32 ends short ofthe inner end of the blade at one of its ends and extends outwardly intoa cross-slot 33 disposed adjacent the outer end of the blade 26. Bymeans of this construction, the blade 26 may be pulled out of the slot25 until the blade at the inner closed end 34 of the slot 32 engages thelug 3!, the end 34 by such engagement acting as a stop to limit theoutward movement of the blade 26. A depression 35 is formed in the endsurface of the head end 23 to facilitate the thumb and finger of theuser grasping the blade end 36 at the cross-slot 33 to withdraw theblade 26 from the slot 25 into the screw actuating position indicated indotted lines in Figures 1, 2 and 4.

One of the prior forms of take-down screws, over which the present oneis an improvement, was provided with a knurled head to be grasped by thethumb and finger of a user to rotate the same. The take-down screwillustrated provides the flat blade 25 for the purpose of rotating thesame, and it has been found that a screw, embodying the features andprinciples of this invention, may be more tightly threaded into the postl5 to rigidly secure the barrel II to the forearm portion I2 and by theuse of less force in so doing than one having a knurled head. It hasalso been found that less force is required to unloosen such a take-downscrew, when it is desired to remove the same to permit separation ofthe' barrel from the forearm while taking down a gun of this type.

When the gun is in assembled condition, as shown in Figure 1, the blade26 is fully disposed in the slot 25 and is firmly retained therein bythe spring pressed plunger 21 with its outer end substantially flushwith the forearm outer surface. When in such position, the blade 26 andscrew head end 23, both being substantially flush with the forearmsurface, present no uncomfortable or inconvenient protuberance at thispoint, and no interference in handling the gun is experienced. Threadingthe hole 20 prevents the threaded screw end M from accidently fallingthrough this hole when it is removed from the post I5 and therebysecures the screw to the sleeve 22 against accidental removal. When itis desired to take down the gun, the user withdraws the blade 26 fromthe slot 25 by grasping it at the cross-slot 33, this being facilitatedby this cross-slot 33 and the depression 35 in the end surface of thescrew head end 23. withdrawing the blade 26 from the screw end 23, it isused to rotate the take-down screw to screw it into, or out of, the postI5. After such use the blade 26 may be pressed into the screw headwherein it will be retained by the plunger 21.

While there has been shown and described herein a particular form oftake-down screw embodying the features and principles of this invention,it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other formswithout. departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. Itis therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive, and it will be furtherunderstood that each and every novel feature and combination thereof,present in, or possessed by, the device herein disclosed, forms a partof the invention included inthis application.

What is claimed as new and for what it is desired to secure LettersPatent, is:

1. In a take-down screw for a firearm, a threaded end portion, a headportion having a slot extending diametrically across its outer end, ablade slidably mounted in the slot for adjustment in said head portionand to be drawn out of the slot into a screw actuating position, aspring pressed plunger engaging said blade to frictionally retain it inits adjusted positions relatively to the head portion, said blade havinga lengthwise slot therein, and a lug on said plunger to enter the slotin said blade to guide the blade in .itsmovements in the head portionand limit its outward movement. 1

2. In a take-down screw for a firearm, a

After 7 spring pressed plunger engaging said blade to frictionallyretain it in its adjusted positions relatively to the head position,said blade having a lengthwise slot therein, and a lug on said plungerto enter the slot in said blade to guide the blade in its movements inthe head portion and limit its outward movement, said blade also havinga cross-slot adjacent its outer end and said head portion having adepression in its outer end surface to facilitate the grasping of saidblade by the fingers of a user.

3. In a take-down firearm, a take-down screw adapted to hold adjacentparts of said firearm together, said screw having a threaded portion toenter a first of said firearm parts, a head portion to enter the secondof said firearm parts and be disposed substantially flush with its outersurface, said head portion having an axially directed slot extendingdiametrically across its outer end, a flat blade slidably mounted in theslot with its outer end flush with the outer end of said head portionand adapted to be drawn axially with respect to the screw out of theslot into a. screw actuating position, and means passing through theblade and adapted to frictionally engage a side of said blade to retainsaid blade within the slot and when in screw actuating position.

4. In a take-down firearm, a take-down screw adapted to hold adjacentparts of said firearm together, said screw having a threaded portion toentera first of said firearm parts, a head portion to enter the secondof said firearm parts and be disposed substantially fiush with its outersurface, said head portion having a slot extending diametrically acrossits outer end, a blade slidably mounted in the slot for adjustment insaid head portion and to be drawn out of the slot into a screw actuatingposition, a spring pressed plunger engaging said blade to frictionallyretain it in its adjusted positions relatively to the head portion, saidblade having a lengthwise slot therein, and a lug on said plunger toenter the slot in said blade to guide the blade in its movements in thehead portion and to limit its outward movement.

7 5. In a take-down firearm, a first firearm part having a threadedhole, a second firearm part having a counterbored hole in axialalignment with the threaded hole in said first part, a sleeve disposedin the counterbored hole of said second part, and a screw having athreaded end to cooperate with the threaded hole in said first part anda head to enter and seat beneath the outer surface of the second part insaid sleeve disposed in the counterbored hole therein to clamp the partstogether, said screw head having a slot extending diametrically acrossthe same, a fiat blade in the slot extending entirely across saidgrasped to rotate the screw.

HAROLD F. MOSSBERG.

